U3A 6th October recap

In our class we are making heart wreath runners largely based on a Jeanne Gentry project published in Patchwork and quilting. There are several new members in the group and we focussed on how to make half square triangles and sew them into pinwheel blocks.

1. take two squares of each of two different fabrics

2. Draw a diagonal line on the
lighter squares.



A scrap of fabric acts as a
thread saver as you chain sew
the pieces

3. Sew quarter inch on either side
of the drawn line.

4. Cut along the drawn line

5.Press the cut units, pressing the seams all towards
the same fabric (usually the darker one).

6a Arrange like this

6b or arrange like this but be
consistent

7. Sew pairs of triangle units together

8. Press out to the same fabric

9.Sew the paired units together

Press again either open or to one side and you have a pinwheel block.

Back with the U3A 15th September

We had a very good turnout for the first U3A meeting of the year, only two avoidable absences and just a little bit of Show & Tell.
Our little handsewn project before we start on our main term's project is a Greek key key ring and a coaster or needle holder which we foundation pieced on gridded vilene, a technique I first came across in the work of Dorothy Stapleton. It is just as quick to do by hand as by machine. DS went on from traditional log cabin to piecing buildings and landscapes and her book is still available although she has retired from teaching.
As often happens once you start to think about something it pops up everywhere and there were several quilts at FOQ that could have been made by this technique; I don't know whether they were or not.

Made by a quilter from the Middle East

Detail of a quilt by Mary Mayne

Very effective quilt by Mary Mayne

Made by another Middle Eastern quilter

And another one I spotted

Key ring and coaster/needle holder projects sewn on gridded vilene

 

 

Sewing Day

Several of us band together to rent a lovely village hall to enjoy each others company and eat a shared lunch; we kept it simple this time with homemade soup and cheese scones but very delicious.

Jill with her quilt quilted by Maggie. We were all impressed.

Judi's scattered stars in the making for the as yet unborn
granddaughter of a friend

Belinda's Star Roses started in a Tracy Aplin workshop

Joining my owl blocks with the sashing posts in the centre of the
blocks, not the corners. I like the crosses.

Meeting up



Ruby's quilt at Quay Quilters



Ruby's book

I went to Quay



Quilters for the first time after the summer holiday to find the school building work wonderfully completed. Ruby showed a quilt with framed little picture squares and a touchy feely book for the blind. And this last weekend some of us enjoyed a cottage weekend and got lots of sewing done.

Belinda's stars from Maggie's workshop

Tracy's spots and stripes

Belinda's tumblers

My workshop quilt bordered

Valerie's b/w stars sashed and bordered,

Whoo Hooo

The dog's dinner!



My favourite block

A young relative requested cartoon owls and royal blue. This gave me an excuse to buy enough owl fabric and coordinates to supply a whole army of owl lovers. All this largesse has caused nothing but problems. I sketched out a design and set too. I wanted to make use of 9" squares cut from a panel. However as blocks went up on the design wall all I could see was a dog's dinner. An owl pellet would have been much neater. I stopped long before the 24 block target and decided to use what I had done for a Linus or Sales table quilt. Ironically the block I made from scraps to complete a 12 block total is by far the most successful, a lesson learned, perhaps.
Now I am making just twelve 15" five patch blocks, four of each design to join with RB sashing.

Completed 15" block

Fabric selection, Plan B.

From the Alcazar, Seville

We've just enjoyed an evening visit to the Alcazar palace complex with its beautiful and extensive gardens, a lovely and calm experience. I took some views as a private reminder of the place. I like to put these photographic memories on a desktop background especially on gloomy winter days. My husband never knows what will pop up when he turns on our shared computer and will often comment. However I also took some pictures for my blog as they are related to quiltmaking.

Colour ideas

Navaho type border

A tessalation

A hexagon arrangement still current

More inspiration

Tiles on the stairs (91) in the Toro del Oro.

I especially like the border and can

think of various ways to make it.

Patchwork Inspiration

Floor of our room in Seville, detail,

We are in Seville at the moment having started off in Madrid where we visited several great galleries but had to be selective about which paintings we looked at, lots of wonderful Goyas and works by Velasquez. We also looked at Picasso's Guernica which seemed as much about drawing as painting, very graphic. Alan has been an excellent courier,taking me on a tour of old Madrid gleaned from an elderly Michelin guide, still accurate and, from the internet,  the first of three walks in Seville. Having lived in Morocco years ago I was very aware of its Medina like qualities. It has been very refreshing to immerse myself in works of art and architecture but patchwork inspiration pops up from time to time. The room here even has a patchwork tiled floor or is it the other way round?

Decorative detail in San Francisco
Basilica, Madrid.

Again in San Francisco

Yet another motif to
quilt.

Keeping up

Since our Friday meet I've sewn one block (but have to amend the corner) and got the other one cut and laid out ready to sew. I daren't count the number of pieces as I might be demoralised.

I need to unpick the misplaced corner piece.

Lots of pieces

Tula Quilt

I went round to Margaret's to discuss our U3A class this term and she showed me this pretty quilt based on one in the House of Tula Pink book. She used William Morris fabrics.

Completed my stint

I was very pleased to complete a second "Bonnie block" today as we have had only a week between meetings. We won't be able to meet at all in September so this was a way to keep us on track. I think I could have chosen my fabrics better here as there isn't enough differentiation and the pattern is lost.

Latest Bonnie block

Catch up

Bonnie block

I have completed another Bonny Block today.
I have also been trying to finish the 2012-13 U3A teaching sampler. The centre is all assembled. I thoght I would add the wadding to the sides and sew and flip the border. I found myself harassed and fighting the quilt when sewing the wadding and the result was wavy so I cut it off and am now sandwiching and quilting the borders separately as I did the blocks.

borders separately as I did the blocks.

Wavy wadding

 Yesterday I visited the Phoenix Quilters' show and was surprised by the number and quality of entries as they are a relatively new group.

Phoenix quilt - a pattern I'd like to
do one day.

I loved this cushion on display at the show.